Australian Researchers Detect Political Disinformation Targeting Chinese-Speaking Communities

A team of researchers from the RECapture project has uncovered alarming patterns of political disinformation targeting Chinese-speaking communities in Australia ahead of the 2025 federal election. The research, which has been monitoring WeChat and RedNote (Xiaohongshu) since 2024, reveals that domestic commercial interests—not foreign interference—are the primary drivers of misleading political content.

WeChat serves as the primary news platform for Chinese speakers in Australia, while RedNote functions as an emerging platform similar to Instagram. Combined, these platforms reach hundreds of thousands of users in Australia, with many relying on them as their main information sources.

“What we’re seeing isn’t primarily foreign interference, as Australian media often suggests,” said a researcher from the RECapture team. “Instead, the disinformation is largely driven by commercial and domestic political interests, posing substantial threats to both Chinese Australian communities and our democratic process.”

The research team has focused on deliberate misrepresentations of policy positions and manipulated political speech designed to influence voter behavior. Their findings reveal several common tactics: exaggerating the likelihood of certain events, manipulating timelines to make old news appear current, and misaligning visuals with text to suggest misleading interpretations.

In one notable example from April, a RedNote post misrepresented Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s speech at the Future of Western Sydney Summit. While Albanese had spoken about maintaining a “balanced” immigration approach, the Chinese-language text accompanying the post claimed: “Labor grants amnesty to all? Albo embraces immigrants! Good news for Chinese people!”

Another example from WeChat involved a Chinese-language outlet publishing an article with the provocative headline: “I am furious! How shameless! Australia is really going to be in chaos!” The sensationalist headline lured readers through four advertisements, including one for Liberal candidate Scott Yung, before presenting misleading information about political polling data.

The article falsely claimed that the Coalition’s support had surpassed Labor’s while selectively presenting polling data. It further alleged that the Labor Party had naturalized 12,500 new citizens—predominantly of Indian origin—in an attempt to influence the election, a claim that had been explicitly refuted by government minister Tony Burke months earlier.

Researchers noted that these platforms face minimal regulatory oversight in Australia, creating an environment where disinformation can flourish during election cycles. The team observed similar patterns of misinformation in previous electoral events, including the 2019 and 2022 federal elections, and the 2023 Voice referendum.

The harm caused by such disinformation is amplified in migrant communities that rely heavily on these platforms for news and information. The insular structure of WeChat and RedNote’s media ecosystems appears to be a more significant factor than foreign political actors or linguistic barriers.

“Currently, most debunking efforts are grassroots initiatives by community members who comment beneath misleading posts,” explained one of the researchers. “We need broader support for media literacy and critical thinking skills, especially for digital news consumption.”

Technical solutions face significant challenges, as WeChat and RedNote prohibit external automated monitoring tools, and their internal systems for flagging AI-generated content are inconsistent.

The researchers conclude that human effort—both individual and coordinated—remains the most effective way to accurately inform Australian communities ahead of the election, regardless of which platforms they use for news consumption.

As Australia approaches the 2025 federal election, the findings highlight the need for increased attention to disinformation targeting culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and the importance of developing tailored strategies to address these challenges.